Collections in the Library
by TheNorthernBelle
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles and one-shots, all of which I have written for my Belle roleplay blog on Tumblr. They are inspired by fanart, or my own headcanons for Belle, and take place anywhere and everywhere in the BatB timeline.
1. Magic Worlds

_So everything I post here are drabbles I have written for my Belle roleplay blog. They're inspired by a lot of my headcanons for Belle, or fanart, or things that I think should happen, etc. The idea behind this particular drabble came from my thought process of how exactly Belle become so enraputred with reading. That and I wanted to write a cute piece with Belle and her Mom. Enjoy!_

**Magic Worlds**

"_Maman!" _came the wailing cry, just as she knew it would. Laying aside her book, Cateline grabbed the lamp from its spot on the table and padded down the hall. Pushing open the second door, she found her five year old daughter huddled in the middle of her bed, valiantly trying to get the white silk gloves off of her tiny hands.

"Oh, _mon petit Belle," _she crooned, joining Belle on the bed. She grasped her tiny hands gently, tugging the gloves back into place. "Dearest, you must not scratch."

"But they itch!" Belle protested, trying to tug away from her Mother's grip. "I don't likes the itchy pox."

"The chicken pox," Cateline corrected gently. "And I know you do not like being sick like this. But if you want to get better, you have to try not to scratch."

"How? All I can think 'bout is itching at them," Belle said, pouting.

Cateline laughed softly at her daughter's words. "Scratching, darling. Luckily, I have the perfect cure for that."

"Candy?" Belle asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Better!" Cateline promised. She rose from the bed and went over to the small set of shelves in the room. She didn't need to scan the shelf for what she was looking for; it always got put back in the exact same spot.

"King Arthur!" Belle exclaimed excitedly when her Mother showed her the book. "I like this story, but…I don't know that it is better than candy."

"You have me there, _ma chère. _You may have some with lunch tomorrow, but only if you do not scratch," Cateline relented.

"But how? How is King Arthur gonna help with that?"

"By reading and focusing. Remember the picture I drew last week?" Cateline asked as she made herself comfortable on the tiny bed. She patted a spot on her lap, inviting Belle to climb up.

"Yes, the pretty castle one," Belle remembered, crawling over her Mother's legs to her favorite cuddling spot.

"That is King Arthur's castle, in Camelot," Cateline explained.

Belle's mouth dropped open in fascination "But how do ya know what it looks like?" she asked, taking the book from her Mother's hands and flipping through the pages. "There are no drawings in here!"

"You are right, the book does not have any pictures, but that is where your imagination helps you," Cateline said, tapping a finger against the top of Belle's head. "When I read to you, do you sometimes try to picture what is happening in your head?"

"All the time!" Belle assured her with a vigorous nod. "Because I wanna know what it all looks like."

"That is your imagination," Cateline revealed. "That is the greatest thing about reading. It lets your imagination take over and transports you to the magical worlds within the pages. Whenever you read a book, if you really focus, you can leave this world behind for a completely new one."

Belle flipped through a few more pages before she caught on to what her Mother was telling her. "So I won't itch in this new world!" she declared proudly.

"No _ma chère, _you won't itch," Cateline confirmed, placing a kiss on Belle's forehead.

"Then I want to read!" Belle declared, turning the pages back to where they had last left off. She stared at the page for a few seconds before craning her neck up to gaze up at Cateline. "Will you help me with the words?"

"Of course!" Cateline promised, smiling. She wrapped her arms around her precious daughter, her life, and pointed to the first word on the page. "We can read for as long as you like."


	2. Reading Amongst the Roses

_This one-shot was inspired by the artwork of the amazingly talented Taijavigilia over on Tumblr. Go check out her work! Set post-movie._

**Reading Amongst the Roses**

"Cogsworth, have you seen Belle?" Adam asked as he passed the Head of his Household in the hall.

"Not since breakfast, Sir," Cogsworth replied. "Have you checked the library?"

"First place I checked," Adam said with a laugh. "I'll keep looking. Thanks, Cogsworth."

He came upon Lumiere next, and asked him the same question.

"Last I saw, she was heading for the library," the former candlestick reported.

"Well she isn't there now," Adam told him.

"Try the kitchens, Sire. She usually takes a second cup of tea around this time."

"Right! Thanks, Lumiere," Adam said, clapping the man on the back.

But Mrs. Potts hadn't seen Belle either. "I brought her her tea in the library," the older woman said.

Adam frowned, thinking. It was one of his rare days off, and he had wanted to spend it all with Belle, if only he could find her. He was about to give up and go search the library again when Chip came bareling through the back doors.

"No running!" Mrs. Potts scolded.

"Sorry, Momma," Chip appologized.

"Chip, have you seen Belle?" Adam wondered.

"Sure have! She's outside by that bendy tree in the rose garden," the young boy declared.

"I should have guessed. Thanks, Chip," Adam said, ruffling the boy's hair on his way out the door.

It was the perfect day outside; no wonder Belle had abandoned her usual spot in the library. Spring was upon them and the rose garden was in full bloom. Following the winding path, Adam soon came upon a small clearing. The space was mostly taken up by two benches, but in one corner stood a small tree, offering a nice shady spot amongst the rose bushes. It was there that Adam finally found Belle, only to discover that she was fast asleep.

Shaking his head, the Prince crept closer. A book lay open in her lap, with two more laying beside her on the grass. She must have been trying to decide which to read next.

Kneeling next to her, he brushed a kiss against her cheek, then eased the book from her grasp.

The move did its trick. Belle stirred, letting out a mumbled, "Adam?"

"Yes, love," Adam answered, smiling down at her.

"What're you doing?" she questioned, voice still thick with sleep.

"Looking for you. How long have you been out here?"

"Not sure," Belle responded, uncurling from her sleeping position with a good stretch.

"It's nearly time for lunch."

"About two hours then," Belle figured.

Adam shifted to sit fully on the ground. He flipped through a few pages of her book, asking, "Is it good?"

Belle nodded. "You would like it. Are you busy?"

"I am all yours," Adam promised, leaning down to give her a proper kiss.


	3. Home

"Belle, duck!" Chip cried in alarm from his spot on the veranda.

Belle headed his warning and jerked aside, but not fast enough to avoid a face full of snow.

"Got you!" the Beast crowed, already arming himself with more snowballs.

"I yield!" Belle declared, flopping back into the snow. She wiped the snow from her eyes, taking a moment to catch her breath. She and the Beast had been having a snowball fight for the better part of an hour and she was exhausted. Happy and in a good mood, but tired.

"Are you sure you yield?" the Beast asked, coming into her line of sight.

"Yes, I am positive," Belle promised, showing him her empty hands. Her last yield had been a fake one, but she was truly done this time around. "I promise, no more sneak attacks."

"Okay, good. So, what do you want to do next?" he asked, holding out a paw to help her off of the snowy ground.

Belle smiled and placed her tiny hand in his, rising to her feet. "I would like to make another snowman, and then we can head back home," she decided, brushing the clinging snow from her dress with her free hand.

"H-home?" the Beast repeated, dumbstruck.

Belle looked up at him, snatching her hand away as though she had been burned. "The castle," she corrected, her voice the barest of whispers, shock and embarrassment flooding through her at the slip-up. "On second thought, I think I'm ready for some tea. I'll just…" She couldn't finish the thought, so she gave in to her instincts and ran back inside. She didn't stop until she reached her room.

The Beast let her go, a slight grin on his face. She had called the castle home. It was a step in the right direction.

But back in the confines of her room, Belle wept at her mistake. She wept from shame, because part of her had meant what she had said; the same part of her who hadn't thought of Maurice in days. She wept from confusion, because if the the castle was becoming home, what did that say about her future?


	4. Shall We Dance

Belle stood in the middle of the immense ballroom, tugging absentmindedly at her elbow-length gloves. It had been two weeks since the Beast's transformation back into Adam, and the two of them had barely gotten any time alone together. Belle had so many questions that she wanted to ask, questions that were keeping her up at night, but they still remained unanswered. Adam's time was being take up by meeting after meeting, mostly with his household staff. She understood that they had a lot to go over and catch up on, but that didn't stop her from craving time alone with him.

Her hands found a new target and started smoothing out non-existant wrinkles on her dress. Today was to be the day that Adam's return was celebrated with a ball. Belle had welcomed the distraction of helping prepare for the party, but now that she was back in the golden gown she couldn't help but remember the last time she had worn it.

It had been such a perfect night. The food, the ambiance, the music; it had all come together to make Belle forget about everything else. Needing a distraction to settle her nerves in the here and now, she forced her hands away from her skirt, raising them to embrace an imaginary partner instead. Humming a mindless tune, Belle retraced the steps she and the Beast had danced that night.

"Your gracefulness never ceases to amaze me," a voice complimented from right behind her, the words echoing throughout the room.

"Be - Adam!" Belle exclaimed, whirling around to face him. She spun too fast, causing her petticoat to tangle around her legs and send her stumbling into Adam's side.

"Whoah, I've got you," he promised, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

"No so graceful then," Belle muttered, her cheeks burning in embarassment. She stayed tucked against Adam's side, breathing in the scent that she had come to associate with the new him. She already felt calmer in his presence.

"Nervous about the ball?" he guessed, making no move to separate from her.

"Yes. No. Maybe?" She wasn't sure. Not only was Adam being welcomed back, but she was being formally introduced to the kindgom and other Royal families as Adam's…something. That was yet another thing they hadn't been able to talk about. "I'm trying not to think about it," she finally admitted, referencing both his question and her internal fears.

"Then let me distract you," Adam offered, finally taking a step away from her. He opened his arms and asked, "Dance with me?"

Belle smiled, stepping forward to take his hand in hers. She shivered slightly as Adam wrapped his other hand around her waist, marveling at the difference between his touch and that of the Beast's. She glanced up at him, seeing the love he had for her so clearly in his eyes. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss, then slid back down into positon.

As one they fell into the familiar steps they had danced not long ago, letting the rest of the world fade away.


	5. What's in a Name

Adam was in the middle of a meeting with a visiting Ambassador when there was a tentative knock on his study room door. He ignored it at first, keeping his focus on his guest. But when the knocking persisted, he quickly apologized for the interruption before calling out, "Come in," and fighting to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"I am so sorry to interrupt, Sire, but you are needed in the library," Cogsworth reported nervously.

"Can it not wait?" Adam asked, nodding at the Ambassador.

"Well, yes. Uh. I mean no. I mean…it's Belle, Your Highness, she -"

Adam didn't wait for him to finish. He was out the door at the mention of his wife, the Ambassador completely forgotten. Let Cogsworth deal with him.

"Belle?" Adam called, throwing the doors of the library open. He hurried into the vast room, searching franticly for her. Surely it wasn't time. "Belle!"

"Over here," Belle called.

Adam increased his pace, picking up on the waver in her voice. He found her in front of the large fireplace, leaning back against the leg of the sofa, dozens of pillows supporting her back. Her hair had that tousled look that told him she had been running her hands through it too much, and her eyes were red from crying. But what gave him pause was the huge number of books spread out before her. It was an insane amount, even for Belle.

"_Mon amour_, what's wrong?" he asked gently, kneeling next to her and taking her into his arms.

"None of them are right," Belle complained, wiping at her eyes.

"None of what are right for what?"

"None of the names! They don't fit!" Belle exclaimed, hands running across her swollen belly.

Adam smiled, though he didn't dare laugh at his pregnant wife's perceived distress. "Darling, we don't have to fully decide on a name until the baby is born."

"Which could be any day now," Belle pointed out, wincing as the baby kicked for the fifth time in as many minutes. "I want to be ready when he or she is born; I want to have options! But none of these names sound right!" She waved her hand at the surrounding piles of books, and only then did Adam understand what she had been doing in the library.

"You're trying to find inspiration for a name from your books?" he guessed, running his fingers through her hair.

Belle nodded, humming in pleasure at his touch. "None of the ones I was coming up with on my own worked, so…I thought we could get ideas from our favorite stories. But none of them are right either."

"Well, what if I told you that I have come up with a name?" Adam asked. He had planned to present the name to Belle after the baby was born, after they found out whether it was a boy or girl, but seeing her so worried about picking the right name had him wanting to know what she would think of his idea.

"You have? What is it?" Belle asked eagerly, tilting her head back and up to look at him.

"If it is a girl…Rosalie Cateline."

"Rosalie Cat - oh, Adam," Belle whispered, straightening up and turning to face him. Tears were already forming in her eyes. She had thought about naming the baby after her Mother if they had a girl, but for some unfounded reason, she had thought Adam wouldn't like the idea. And now here he was suggesting it all on his own.

"Do you like it?" Adam wondered, though he was nearly positive that he already knew the answer.

"I love it," Belle said sincerely. It was perfect. "But…what if it is a boy?"

"Then maybe we can name him after Lumiere, or Cogsworth," Adam suggested, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Adam!" Belle cried, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.

As it turned out, they needn't have worried about a boy's name. Two days later they were celebrating the birth of their baby girl.


	6. You Make Me Want to Say

Belle settled into her favorite chair by the fire, glad that the hustle of the day was finally over. All she wanted to do was dive back into the book she was reading, but when she checked the end table next to her chair, she found it missing. She groaned as she remembered leaving it in the gardens that morning; the gardens that were on the complete opposite side of the castle from the library.

"Why do castles have to be so huge?" she muttered to herself, getting back to her feet. She had barely moved when the library doors swung open to reveal Adam.

"I knew I'd find you here. I believe this is yours," he said, handing her her book once he reached her side.

"Thank you! I really didn't want to walk all that way," Belle confessed, taking the book from him with a smile.

"Happy to be of service, My Lady. Might I join you?" Adam asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Of course, My Lord," Belle responded, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. She settled back into her chair, opened the book to the marked page, and promptly lost herself to the hero's adventures.

But something wasn't quite right. She had just paused to brush a strand of hair out of her face, when she noticed Adam watching her from the corner of her eye. She shook it off and went back to reading, but she could still feel his gaze on her.

"What is it?" she questioned, looking over at him.

"N-nothing," he said, going back to his own book.

Belle shrugged it off and delved back into her story. But with every turn of a page, she could feel Adam turning to look at her. He kept shifting in his chair too, as though he couldn't get comfortable. Normally Belle was good at blocking out the distractions around her when she read, but not this time.

"Adam! I can feel you staring at me," she complained, looking over at him again.

"Sorry!" he replied, looking sheepish. "It's just -"

"What?"

He groaned, running a hand over his face. "This wasn't how…Belle, look at your bookmark."

"My bookmark?" Belle repeated, picking up the ribbon she always used to mark her spot. She had thrown it in her lap in her haste to start reading, not paying it any mind. But as she picked it up, she immediately noticed the extra weight. She pulled it up more, and it was only then that she caught sight of the diamond ring that the ribbon had been tied to.

She turned her head so fast she felt her muscles spasm in protest, but she paid them no mind. Adam was no longer in his own chair, but was kneeling next to hers.

He pulled the ribbon from her grasp and started undoing the knot around the ring.

Belle could already feel tears forming in her eyes, and her heart jumped as she noticed that the ring was shaped exactly like a rose.

"I don't know how it's even possible, but I love you more now than I did when I was cursed. I love your intelligence, your stubbornness, your kindness, your strength, everything. I will be eternally grateful that you fell in love with me, despite everything that the went through back then, and I know that I will continue to strive to be the man that you deserve." He picked up her left hand, eyes clearly expressing what he was struggling to put into words. "Belle, will you marry me?"

She didn't hesitate; her mouth was already forming the words as he asked the question. "Yes! Yes, of course!" she exclaimed, hand shaking as he slid the ring on her finger. Once on, she slid from chair, kneeling in front of him. "I love you," she whispered, pulling him in for a searing kiss.

They pulled apart minutes later, breathless and grinning. "And to think you didn't even see the ring!" Adam teased, resting his forehead against hers.

Belle shrugged, staring down at the glittering ring on her hand. "I was at a very intense part of the book!"


	7. No Air

Belle and Adam had been greeted with much fanfare and many lavish gifts, courtesy of the Royal Family of the kingdom they were visiting. There was to be an even more stunning gala later that night in their honor, and it was because of that ball that Belle was in this particular predicament.

The Queen had made her a gift of a gown done in the newest fashion of their kingdom. It was a deep sapphire blue, with silver embroidery, a bodice edged in pearls, exquisite lace at the sleeves, a slightly off the shoulder neckline, and the whole look was completed by a corset. She had never worn a corset before, and was hesitant to do so. But she also knew that she couldn't not wear the gown to the ball, for fear of gravely insulting the Queen.

_Here goes nothing_, she thought to herself as her maids got to work on dressing her. She regretted it as soon as they tightened the first lace.

"Are you well, My Lady?" one of the girls asked. She had been sent by the Queen to help Belle get ready.

"Yes, I think so," Belle gasped out. "It's just…tight."

"You'll get used to it," the maid promised as she tightened the next group of laces.

_But how do you breathe in this?!_ Belle wanted to ask, but she kept quiet. She didn't want to admit that she couldn't wear the dress; she had so much to prove tonight as it was. Though they had been welcomed with all the honors Royalty warranted, she knew that all eyes would be on her; people were insanely curious about the commoner Prince Adam had fallen in love with.

So she sucked in her breath and let the handmaids lace her into the dress. Once she was ready, even she had to admit that she looked stunning. The expression on Adam's face when he saw her, so full of love and a little something extra, was enough to banish her uncomfortable feelings. Just not for long.

Within the first half hour she could feel the boning of the corset digging into her sides. "Darling, what's wrong?" Adam asked, noticing her not-so-subtle tugging at her bodice.

"Just getting used to the dress," she whispered. She forced a smile on her face as the King and Queen approached, graciously accepting their compliments and expressing her thanks for the gifts. After that she was whisked onto the dance floor by the King, then handed off to a number of different members of the court. By the time she got back to Adam she was struggling to take a full breath.

"I can't breathe," she gasped as she took a seat on one of the benches lining the dance floor.

"I don't doubt it; that dance looks much more complicated than the ones we're used to," Adam commented as he sat next to her.

"No, Adam…I really can't –" Belle struggled to say. Something was wrong. No matter the fashion, she was positive she wasn't supposed to feel like this.

"Ah, Your Highness, Lady Belle. If you would follow me, Their Majesties would like to make a toast," one of the palace servants announced as he appeared at their side.

"Of course," Adam replied, making a face that only Belle could see as he helped her to her feet.

She tried to protest, but couldn't draw in the breath to do so. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and spots were gathering at the edges of her vision. She had time to grab desperately at Adam's arm before those spots turned into darkness and wiped everything out.

When she finally came to, the first thing she saw was the canopy of her bed. Glancing around, she caught sight of Adam in a chair next to the bed. "Adam?" she called out hoarsely.

He jerked awake, smiling softly as he saw she had come to. "How are you feeling?" he asked, moving to sit beside her.

"Sore," Belle reported, automatically reaching for his hand. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Adam answered, squeezing her hand.

"That stupid corset," Belle grumbled, wincing slightly as she sat up a little. She was about to ask after the Queen's reaction (it was so embarrassing; what must she think of her) when she noticed Adam's expression and his shoulders shaking ever so slightly. "Adam? Are you…laughing?!"

"What? No! I mean, Belle…"

"It is not funny!" Belle protested as she grabbed a nearby pillow and whacked him in the side.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I am," Adam declared, holding his hands out to fend off another attack.

"I'd like to see you try and wear one," Belle said, smiling despite herself. But at least her fainting spell had gotten them away from the ball early.


End file.
